Group teaches interfaith families Jewish traditions

InterfaithFamily.com features blogs, videos, more on Judaism to help with transition

December 21, 2011|By Jessica Tobacman, Special to the Tribune

They came from different religions, but Lisa Stein and her husband, Daniel, of Evanston, are running a Jewish household.

They raise their children in the faith. They observe all of Judaism's holidays, including Hanukkah, which started Tuesday — just five days before Christmas.

But they practice one Christmas tradition with a Jewish twist each year: They put up a Christmas tree with a Star of David on top.

"It all merges together. We call it Chrismukkah," said Stein, who was raised Catholic. She converted to her husband's faith six months after the oldest of their three children completed her bat mitzvah.

Stein said she had several reasons: She was not a practicing Catholic when she and her husband got married; they had a Jewish wedding; and they were raising their children in the Jewish tradition.

The Steins and other couples who started out as interfaith unions are the target audience for a program new to the Chicago area called InterfaithFamily.com. The organization, which has been in operation in Boston for a decade and has launched a two-year pilot effort in the Midwest, aims to teach Jewish traditions to interfaith couples.

"We try to provide tons of ways to find content and resources about Jewish holidays and traditions," said Rabbi Ari Moffic, director of InterfaithFamily/Chicago. "The goal is to support families exploring Jewish life."

InterfaithFamily.com provides a wealth of information about Jewish holidays and traditions. The website features blogs, videos, articles, blessings for the holidays, recipes and free, downloadable booklets about any aspect of Jewish ritual. Visitors also can learn how other interfaith couples handle religious practices.

InterfaithFamily.com provides an important service because "the majority of Jewish weddings are interfaith," Moffic said.

The Chicago office is also offering two series of workshops — "Love and Religion" and "Raising a Child With Judaism in Your Interfaith Family" — for interfaith couples early next year, with online discussions and in-person gatherings.

Moffic said she is meeting with clergy across denominations to try to make interfaith couples feel more welcome at congregations in the Chicago area.

Amy Claver, a Roman Catholic, said she and her husband, Bruce, who is Jewish, are exploring both of their religious traditions.

The Glenview couple are raising their two children Jewish. Though they keep a Jewish home, their 6-year-old daughter wants a Christmas tree so much that she has built one with her blocks and decorated it like a tree, Claver said.

"The challenge is that they see the beautiful (Christmas) lights and decorations. It's very appealing to them at their age," she said.

"We are constantly blending," she said. For instance, the family celebrates Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, each week. But when it occurred during Lent, they served salmon, not meat, during a family dinner out of respect for Catholic tradition.